On their guards: Caslick, Guei lift Humboldt State men past Cal State East Bay

ARCATA -- With the Pioneers breathing down their neck, the Jacks needed a spark.

One of Humboldt State's young bucks, freshman guard Colin Caslick, was there to answer the call.

Caslick's pair of three-point opportunities turned the momentum back on his team's side, as Humboldt was able to weather the storm and hold on for an 84-80 victory over Cal State East Bay at Lumberjack Arena on Thursday night.

"That was a key point -- just keep attacking and keep getting to the rack," said Caslick, who was one of five HSU players in double figures with 14 points. "That was my whole mentality. I set up my pump fake and just got to the rack.

"When you're a freshman and you get an opportunity, you have to make the most of it."

That's exactly what he did.

After shooting under 40 percent in the second half, East Bay cut Humboldt's double-digit lead to 71-67 with a quick 10-0 run.

But there was Caslick, who re-entered the game with four minutes remaining, to counter the Pioneers' sudden offensive surge.

Caslick got the basket and the foul with 3:19 to go, but missed the free throw to complete the old school three-point play. After Gabe Kindred -- who scored a team-high 20 points for East Bay -- hit a jumper, Caslick's second and-1 try was successfully converted.

Just like that, the Jacks had a comfortable 76-69 lead heading into the final two minutes.

"So often this year down the stretch, the flood gates have opened up on us and we haven't had any stops defensively. To counter that, we haven't scored down the stretch and made big plays," HSU head coach Steve Kinder said. "Colin stepped up and was the hero tonight, and we rode his shoulders as a freshman."

The win improved the Jacks' record to 4-11 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association and 9-12 overall. The Pioneers, who haven't won a road game this season in nine attempts, fell to 4-11 and 7-14, respectively.

"At this point of the season, we're desperate, we need wins. We need to have a sense of urgency," said junior point guard Allan Guei, who had game highs in points (22) and assists (6). "I know as a point guard -- as a leader -- I have to do whatever it takes to win. That's the mentality I had today."

It was a rare quiet night for HSU junior forward David Howard, who came in as the CCAA's leading scorer at 20.4 points a game. Howard played just 16 minutes due to foul trouble, scoring eight of his 10 points in the second half.

But the rest of the cavalry was there to pick up the slack.

Brandon Pomrehn scored all of his 14 points in the first half, while Jordan Mackie -- who hit two of HSU's three 3-pointers -- finished with 12. Pomrehn's putback was the final basket in HSU's 14-2 run that gave the Jacks their first double-digit lead at 34-23.

"Pomrehn set the tone early," Kinder said. "He's obviously a capable scorer, an offensive threat, and he had a breakout night as far as his first-half play. They had to make adjustments on him in the second half that freed up our guard play."

East Bay responded with a 13-5 run to close the first half, cutting the Jacks' lead to 39-36 going into halftime.

But the Jacks immediately stretched their lead back to double digits in the first two minutes of the second half, using a 7-0 burst to go up 46-36.

"We showed a lot of poise. We didn't get down," Guei said. "After we got punched, we stayed up. We just told everybody to stay poised and stay in control."